Assessment of Psychopharmacology on the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology Examinations

Abstract

To report the assessment of psychopharmacology on the certification and recertification exams in general psychiatry and in the subspecialties administered by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (ABPN). The ABPN's core competencies for psychiatrists were reviewed. The number of items addressing psychopharmacology or neuropharmacology was determined for each examination. For the multiple-choice certification exams, item performance was reviewed. The grade cards of failing candidates were reviewed for the oral certification exam. A significant number of the core competencies involved psychopharmacology. The percent of items addressing the topic varied by examination but was substantial in general. Performance on these items on the multiple-choice certification exam was similar to performance in other areas. However, a majority of those who failed the patient section of the oral examination had inadequate performance in the area of drug treatment, indicating that trainees may need additional experience with applying psychopharmacological knowledge in the context of patient cases. This review indicated that knowledge of psychopharmacology was a significant component of the ABPN's core competencies and of its certification and recertification exams.